Problem: The line $x = k$ intersects the graph of the parabola $x = -2y^2 - 3y + 5$ at exactly one point.  What is $k$?
Solution: The line $x = k$ intersects the graph of the parabola $x = -2y^2 - 3y + 5$ at exactly one point if and only if the equation $-2y^2 - 3y + 5 = k$ has exactly one real solution.  This equation is equivalent to \[2y^2 + 3y + (k - 5) = 0,\] and this equation has exactly one real solution if and only if the discriminant is 0.  The discriminant of this quadratic is $3^2 - 4 \cdot 2 \cdot (k - 5)$.  Setting this equal to 0 and solving for $k$, we find $k = \boxed{\frac{49}{8}}$.  (Note that this is the $x$-coordinate of the vertex of the parabola.)

[asy]
size(150);
real ticklen=3;
real tickspace=2;

real ticklength=0.1cm;
real axisarrowsize=0.14cm;
pen axispen=black+1.3bp;
real vectorarrowsize=0.2cm;
real tickdown=-0.5;
real tickdownlength=-0.15inch;
real tickdownbase=0.3;
real wholetickdown=tickdown;
void rr_cartesian_axes(real xleft, real xright, real ybottom, real ytop, real xstep=1, real ystep=1, bool

useticks=false, bool complexplane=false, bool usegrid=true) {

import graph;

real i;

if(complexplane) {

label("$\textnormal{Re}$",(xright,0),SE);

label("$\textnormal{Im}$",(0,ytop),NW);

} else {

label("$x$",(xright+0.4,-0.5));

label("$y$",(-0.5,ytop+0.2));

}

ylimits(ybottom,ytop);

xlimits( xleft, xright);

real[] TicksArrx,TicksArry;

for(i=xleft+xstep; i<xright; i+=xstep) {

if(abs(i) >0.1) {

TicksArrx.push(i);

}

}

for(i=ybottom+ystep; i<ytop; i+=ystep) {

if(abs(i) >0.1) {

TicksArry.push(i);

}

}

if(usegrid) {

xaxis(BottomTop(extend=false), Ticks("%", TicksArrx ,pTick=gray

(0.22),extend=true),p=invisible);//,above=true);

yaxis(LeftRight(extend=false),Ticks("%", TicksArry ,pTick=gray(0.22),extend=true),

p=invisible);//,Arrows);

}

if(useticks) {

xequals(0, ymin=ybottom, ymax=ytop, p=axispen, Ticks("%",TicksArry ,

pTick=black+0.8bp,Size=ticklength), above=true, Arrows(size=axisarrowsize));

yequals(0, xmin=xleft, xmax=xright, p=axispen, Ticks("%",TicksArrx ,

pTick=black+0.8bp,Size=ticklength), above=true, Arrows(size=axisarrowsize));

} else {

xequals(0, ymin=ybottom, ymax=ytop, p=axispen, above=true, Arrows(size=axisarrowsize));

yequals(0, xmin=xleft, xmax=xright, p=axispen, above=true, Arrows(size=axisarrowsize));

}
};
real lowerx, upperx, lowery, uppery;
real f(real x) {return -2*x^2 - 3*x + 5;}
lowery = -3;
uppery = 1;
rr_cartesian_axes(-4,7,lowery,uppery);
draw(reflect((0,0),(1,1))*(graph(f,lowery,uppery,operator ..)), red);
draw((49/8,-3)--(49/8,1),blue);
dot((49/8,-3/4));
[/asy]